Adjustable hinge



Filed April 20, 1955 INVENTOR.

ROBE/Q7" E TOPM/A United States Patent ADJUSTABLE HINGE Robert E.Torchia, Gardenia, Calif.

Application April 20, 1953, Serial No. 349,649

3 Claims. (Cl. 16-133) This invention relates broadly to an adjustablehinge, and, more specifically, relates to a new and improved adjustabledoor hinge for raising or lowering a door with respect to a door jamb inorder to maintain the door in its proper position relative to a doorwayso as to permit unobstructed opening and closing of the door withrespect to the doorway without a large clearance, and consequentundesirable results, such as drafts and the like.

Generally speaking, an illustrative embodiment of the present inventioncomprises hinge plates adapted to be fastened to a door and a door jamb,a threaded bolt in cooperably rotatable relationship with respect to afirst hinge plate and in selectively rotatable or non-rotatablerelationship with respect to the second hinge plate, and thread means incooperable relationship with respect to the first of the hinge platesand threaded upon the bolt whereby relative rotation of the bolt andsaid thread means with respect to each other results in longitudinalmovement of that first hinge plate with respect to the bolt and thusalso with respect to the second hinge plate.

From the above brief general description of the present invention, itwill be obvious that those disadvantages of the prior methods ofcompensating for decreased or increased vertical clearance between thedoor and the adjacent members are completely or virtually entirelyovercome in and through the use of this invention.

With the above points in mind, it is a general object of this inventionto provide a new and improved, easily operated, inexpensive adjustablehinge designed to make possible the raising and lowering of a doorwithout removal of the door from the hinge or from the doorway.

It is another specific object of this invention to provide a hinge withlongitudinal clearance between the door hinge plate and the jamb hingeplate whereby said plates may be longitudinally raised or lowered withrespect to each other.

Additional and related objects will be clear to those skilled in the artupon a careful examination of the accompanying illustrations, thepresent specification, and the appended claims.

In order to facilitate understanding of my invention, reference will bemade to the following drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a front, elevational, partly sectional, view of one preferredembodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a reduced-size perspective view of the device illustrated inFig. 1, shown in operative position upon a fragmentary door jamb anddoor;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, partly sectional view of a portionof the device illustrated in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a front, elevational, fragmentary, partly sectional, view of amodified version of the present inven tion.

As seen in Fig. 1, the door hinge is provided with two hinge plates, theleft plate 5 hereinafter being called the jamb plate 5 for the sake ofconvenience in description, and the right plate 6 hereinafter beingcalled the door plate 6 for the same reason; the hereinafter describeduses of the left and right plates as door jamb plate and door plate,respectively, being interchangeable in this preferred embodiment of myinvention. The jamb plate 5 has three countersunk holes, such as 7, invertically staggered relationship with respect to each other, throughwhich wood screws, such as 8 in Fig. 2, may be inserted for fasteningthe jamb plate 5 to a door jamb 9, in Fig. 2. The door plate 6 has threesimilar holes, such as 10, for similar fastening of the door plate 5 toa door 11 in Fig. 2. The jamb plate 5 has three lateral projections 12,13 and 14, having circular shapes and provided with longitudinallycommon axial bore holes (not shown) adapted to receive an axial bolt 15therethrough. The door plate 6 has four lateral projections 16, 17, 18and 19, similar in their circular shapes to the jamb plates lateralprojections 12, 13 and 1d, and provided with longitudinally common axialbore holes (not shown) adapted to receive the axial bolt 15 therethroughin pivotal relation thereto. All of the said axial bore holes are solocated in their respective lateral projections that there is suflicientclearance for the plates 5 and 6 to pivot with respect to each otherabout the axial bolt 15, such pivoting taking place when the door 11 ispivoted relative to the jamb 9 in the doors opening and closingoperations. The axial bolt 15 is provided with a head 20 having a slot21 adapted to receive the tip of a screw-driver (not shown) whereby theaxial bolt 15 may be turned about its longitudinal axis. A dummy knob22, similar in appearance to the bolt head 20, is located on the jambplates upper projection 12 in symmetrical opposition to the bolt head 20by partial insertion of a plug (not shown) into the axial bore hole ofthe projection 12. The axial bolt 15 is provided with spirally advancinggrooves or threads along its length. The jamb plates lower projection 14is internally grooved or threaded so as to mesh with the threads of theaxial bolt 15 and maintain said bolt in its inserted position relativeto the jamb plate 5. Two circular internally threaded nuts 23 and 24,hereinafter described as the upper nut 23 and the lower nut 24, arerotatably threaded upon the axial bolt 15; the upper nut 23 beinglocated between the door plates projections 16 and 17 in abutmentagainst said projections, and the lower nut 24 being located between thedoor plates projections 18 and 19 in abutment thcreagainst.

Fig. 3 illustrates a preferred construction of the nuts 23 and 24. Forconvenience, only the upper nut 23 will he described, the lower nut 24being identical thereto. A looking or set screw 25 (which may be headedor nonheaded) is rotatably threaded into internally threaded radial hole26 in the nut 23 so that the screw 25 may be selectively rotatablydriven into locking contact with the axial bolt 15 whereby the nut 23and the bolt 15 will be relatively immovable with respect to each other.As shown, the set screw 25 is provided with a recessed head or socket 27having an internal plurality of faces adapted to be abuttingly contactedby a turning wrench for rotation of said screw. The nut 23 has aplurality of circumferentially spaced radial recesses, such as 28,suitable for the reception of the before-mentioned turning wrench or anyother lever for rotating the nut 23 relative to the axial bolt 15. Theset screw 25 preferably should be made of a material softer than thatused for the axial bolt 15, such as brass and steel, respectively, inorder to prevent damage to the threads of the bolt 15.

The operation of the above-described preferred embodiment of myinvention may be explained as follows:

The function of the door hinge is not only to provide means for pivotingthe door relative to the door jamb but also to maintain the door with asuflicient clearance above the floor so that the door does not touch thefloor during said pivoting movement. Hence, the weight of the door isupon its hinges. That is, more specifically, the door plates projections16 and 18 exert a downward force upon the upper nut 23 and the lower nut24, respectively, that force being in turn transmitted by the threads ofsaid nuts to the threads of the axial bolt 15 which transmits the forceto the jamb plate by means of the internally threaded lower projection14. During opera.- tion, the adjustable nuts 23 and 24 are locked intoposition by their set screws, of which screw 25 is the one in the uppernut 23, so that the longitudinal position of the door plate 6 withrespect to the jamb plate 5 is fixed. In order to adjust therelativelongitudinal position of the door plate with respect to the jamb plate,the set screws must be loosened so that the adjustable nuts arerotatable with respect to the bolt 15, such rotation being either to theright or the left for raising or lowering, respectively, of the doorwith respect to the door jamb. The same hand tool lever used forinsertion into the radial recesses, such as 28, for rotation of thenuts. Upon obtaining the desired position of the door, the set screwsmay then be tightened, thus fixing the longitudinal position of the doorwith respect to the door jamb. The opening and closing of the door doesnot alter that position since the door plates projections freely slideover the nuts.

Although the above specific description of a preferred embodiment ofthis invention has referred to the left hinge plate as the jamb plateand the right hinge plate as the door plate, it should be obvious thatthe functions of the hinge plates may be interchanged without affectingthe operation of the hinge in the slightest degree. Instead of the righthinge plates projections 16 and resting upon the adjustable nuts 23 and24, respectively, the nuts 23 and 24- will rest upon the right hingeplates projections 17 and 19, respectively.

Fig. 4 illustrated a modified embodiment of the present invention,similar parts being designated by the same numerals, primed however. Thejamb plate 5 has three lateral projections 12, 13' and 14' provided withlongitudinally common axial bore holes (not shown) adapted to receivethe threaded axial bolt 15' therethrough. The door plate 6' has twolateral projection 16' and 11.3 similar in their circular shapes to thejamb plates lateral pro-- jections l2, l3 and 14 but theirlongitudinally common axial bore holes are internally threaded, as seenin the sectioned lateral projection 18', so that relative rotation ofthe axial bolt 15 and the door plate 6 with respect toeaeh other resultsin longitudinal movement of said bolt 15' and said door plate 6 withrespect to each other. A locking nut 22' is threadably engaged with theaxial bolt 15 at the opposite end from the bolt head 2% and is providedwith a slanted conical flange 29 so that tightening action of the nut 22with respect tothe bolt 15 causes the flange 29 to elastically deformagainst the jamb plate projection 14, resulting in the frictionallocking of the bolt 15' in immovable relationship with respect to thejamb plate 5'.

The operation of the above-described modification may be explained asfollows:

Although the left and right hinge plates are considered as jamb and doorhinge plates, resepctively, they are interchangeable in function as inthe case of the preferred embodiment previously described. The doorplates pro jections 16' and 1S exert a downward force by means of theirthreads upon the threads of the axial bolt 15', that force being in turntransmitted to the jamb plate 5' by the bolt head being in downwardabutment against the jamb plates upper projection 12'. During openingand closing operation of the door, the axial bolt 15 is immovably lockedto the jamb plate 5 by the locking nut 22', and the door plate 6'rotates freely upon the axial bolt. Of course, there is a slight raisingand lowering of the door as it is rotated back and forth because thedoor plate 6 is being raised and lowered with respect to the axial boltdue to the spirally threaded relationship between the door plateprojections and the bolt. However, the pitch of the threads is so smallthat the variation in the position of the door between the openandclosed positions is negligible; in addition, the door always returns tothe exact same relative position when closed as when originally adjustedsince the bolt remains stationary with respect to the jamb plate 5'. Inorder to adjust the relative longitudinal position of the door platewith respect to the jamb plate, the lock nut 22 must be loosened so thatthe axial bolt 1.5 may be rotated with respect to the jamb plate 5, suchrotation being either to the left or the right for raising or lowering,respectively, of the door with respect to the door jamb. The same handtool, such as an open end wrench, used for loosening the lock nut 22'may be used on the bolt head 20 for turning the bolt 15. Upon obtainingthe desired position of the door, the lock nut may then be tightened.thus fixing the longitudinal position of the door with respect to thedoor jamb again.

Although the above specific descriptions of various embodiments of myinvention have been confined to the use of a single hinge, it is obviousthat most doors will require two hinges in order to provide a stablelongitudinal pivotal axis so that the door will swing easily when openedand closed. It should be equally obvious that either the second hingewill have to be longitudinally variable in position itself or else thejamb hinge plate and the door hinge plate will have to be longitudinallymovable with respect to each other. An adjustable hinge embodying myinvention may be used, in which case the second hinge will provideadditional support for the eight of the door as well as pivotalguidance, or else an ordinary hinge having longitudinal clearancebetween the lateral projections of the two hinge plates may be used, inwhich latter case only pivotal guidance will be offered by that secondhinge since the lateral projections will not rest upon each other unlessthe door is in its extreme lowest position with respect to the doorjamb.

Numerous modifications of my invention within the spirit thereof will beapparent to those skilled in the art. For instance, there are a greatmany ways of securing the axial bolt in immovable relationship withrespect to the jamb plate. The jarnb plate projections 12, 13 and 14 inFig. 1 may be identical with the corresponding members in Fig. 4 (themodified form of the invention) in that none of said projections isinternally threaded, and the axial bolt 15 would be inserted from thetop instead of from the bottom as shown, the downward force upon thebolt being transmitted to the jamb plates upper projection 12 by thebolt head 20, such a modification limiting the use of the hinge in thatthe left hinge plate 5 would always have to be the jamb plate and thebolt would always have to be inserted from the top. Instead of threadingthe lateral projectionil l as shown in Fig. 1, the dummy head 22 may beinternally threaded and the axial bolt 15 extended thereinto, or alocking nut, such as the nut 22" in Fig. 4, could be used. For evengreater strength, which may be desired for large heavy doors, all threeof the lateral projections 12, 13 and 14 and the head 22 may beinternally threaded and the axial bolt threaded therethrough. Obviously,the bolt head 26 need not have a slot 21 for a screw-driver but may beprovided with external flat surfaces suitable for gripping by a wrenchor other hand tool, as in the modification in Fig. 4.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is not limited to the use ofany particular number of jamb plate projections, door plate projectionsor adjustable nuts, since the principle is the same regardless ofvariations in numbers thereof. The jamb plate 5 may have only the upperand lower projections 12 and 14, and the door plate 6 may then have onlytwo lateral projections, such as 16 and 17, which would be desirablyenlarged longitudinally, with a large adjustable nut, such as 23,positioned thereinbetween.

Instead of positioning the adjustable nuts between closely adjacent doorplate projections, the nuts may be positioned outside those projections,for example, between projections 12 and 16, 17 and 13, 13 and 18, and/or19 and 14, respectively. It is obvious that there are a great manypossible combinations of lateral projections from each plate andadjustable nuts.

The adjustable nuts 23 and 24 may themselves be modified within thescope of this invention. Said nuts may be provided with any sort of setscrew 25, either recessed or projecting. The circumferential surface maybe a plurality of flat surfaces suitable for gripping by a wrench orother hand tool.

The threaded axial bolt need not be threaded throughout its entirelength but may have threads only over those portions over which itsthreaded counterpart may travel.

I do not intend to limit my invention to those examples, described andillustrated, but use them merely to teach the art, since my invention isbroader than any one of the specific embodiments mentioned above. Myinvention is to be limited only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Longitudinally adjustable door hinge apparatus effectively adapted tobe attached to a door and a door jamb whereby said door may beselectively adjustably longitudinally positioned with respect to saiddoor jamb comprising: first hinge plate means and second hinge platemeans provided with first and second lateral projection meansrespectively, in longitudinally alignable and longitudinally movablerelationship with respect to each other, said lateral projection meansbeing provided with longitudinally common axial hole means; longitudinalaxial bolt means provided with bolt thread means and insertable throughsaid longitudinal axial hole means; second thread means cooperablyrelated with respect to said first hinge plate means and threadablyengaged with said bolt thread means whereby said bolt means may beselectively lockable in rotatably immovable relationship with respect tosaid first hinge plate means; and third thread means internally relatedwith respect to said second lateral projection means and threadablyengaged with said bolt thread means whereby prior to being selectivelyrotatably immovably locked, selective relative rotation of said boltmeans with respect to said first hinge plate means and with respect tosaid third thread means causes longitudinal movement of said secondhinge plate means with respect to said first hinge plate means.

2. Longitudinally adjustable door hinge apparatus offectively adapted tobe attached to a door and a door jamb whereby said door may beselectively adjustably longitudinally positioned with respect to saiddoor jamb, comprising: first hinge plate means and second hinge platemeans provided with first and second lateral projection means,respectively, in longitudinally alignable and longitudinally movablerelationship with respect to each other, said lateral projection meansbeing provided with longitudinally common axial hole means; longitudinalaxial bolt means provided with bolt thread means and insertable throughsaid longitudinal axial hole means, said bolt means being selectivelylockable in rotatably immovable relationship with respect to said firsthinge plate means; and said second lateral projection means beingprovided with internal thread means in threadably engaged relationshipwith respect to said bolt thread means whereby prior to beingselectively rotatably immovably locked, selective relative rotation ofsaid bolt means with respect to said internal thread means and withrespect to said. first hinge plate means causes longitudinal movement ofsaid second hinge plate means with respect to said first hinge platemeans.

3. longitudinally adjustable door hinge apparatus effectively adapted tobe attached to a door and a door jamb whereby said door may beselectively adjustably longitudinally positioned with respect to saiddoor jamb, comprising: first hinge plate means provided with firstlateral projection means; second hinge plate means provided with secondlateral projection means said second lateral projection means includingbifurcated portions defining recess means therebetween; said first andsecond lateral projection means being in longitudinally alignable andlongitudinally movable relationship with respect to each other, saidlateral projection means being provided with longitudinally common axialhole means; longitudinal axial bolt means provided with bolt threadmeans and insertable through said longitudinal axial hole means in axialpivot relationship with respect to said second hinge plate means; secondthread means carried by said first lateral projection means andthreadably engaged with said bolt thread means in selectively rotatablyimmovable relationship with respect thereto; and third thread meansconsisting of threaded nut means carried within the recess means in thebifurcated portions of said second projection means and threadablyengaged in selectively lockable relationship with respect to said boltthread means whereby selective relative rotation of said third threadmeans with respect to said immovable bolt means causes longitudinalmovement of said second hinge plate means with respect to said firsthinge plate means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS525,712 Knittel Sept. 11, 1894 684,726 Sawyer Oct. 15, 1901 699,727Upton et al. May 13, 1902 983,553 Hunter Feb. 11, 1911 1,341,690 WernerJune 1, 1920 2,373,955 Fuller Apr. 17, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,207 GreatBritain Ian. 9, 1893 318,603 Great Britain Apr. 10, 1930

